Braised Rabbit in Beer Sauce

In the mood for something different tonight? Braised rabbit in beer sauce is a new and exotic as well as a nutritious option your taste buds will savor. With the taste of tender and delicate rabbit meat, drenched in mustard and herb infused beer sauce, you will be wishing rabbit was as frequently spotted at the grocery stores as chicken. You can usually find it at specialty food stores such as Citarella’s and sometimes Whole Foods. You can speak to your local butcher or with the meat department at Whole Foods to order your rabbit. Within the recipe you let the rabbit cook as well as absorb a beer sauce infused with flavorful herbs, garlic and mustard, leaving the rabbit meat full of flavor. Presenting the rabbit on a bed of buckwheat along with sliced tomato and a smear of mustard on the side this meal would impress any guest of yours!

Soak rabbit legs in cold water with 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar. Drain and pet dry. Season legs generously with salt on all sides.

Drench in flour.

Knock off excess flour.

Heat oil in shallow wide-sided Dutch oven or large frying pan on medium heat. Brown rabbit meat parts on both sides in batches, transfer to a plate.

Chop shallot and prep garlic to be minced.

Add 1 tablespoon of butter and a dash of oil to the same pan. Add shallot and cook for 2 minutes.

Then add minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Pour in beer and chicken stock, season with salt and pepper.

Place 1 tablespoon flour into a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons of braising liquid from the pan and whisk vigorously until it resembles a heavy cream consistency, add more liquid if needed.

Slowly whisk it in to the pan.

Add mustard.

Return rabbit meat to the pan, add 3 thyme sprigs and bay leaf, cover with the lid and simmer gently for 35-40 minutes. Turn the meat at least once, make sure it doesn’t stick to the pan, otherwise flour will burn and sauce will have a slightly bitter taste, add more stock if needed. Continue cooking on gentle simmer. Lift rabbit out with slotted spoon and keep it warm.

Add chopped parsley and capers to the sauce. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve rabbit with the sauce, buckwheat, few slices of fresh tomato and a smear of English mustard on a side.

Sprinkled with fresh dill on top!

Bon Appétit!

Svitlana

Braised Rabbit in Beer Sauce

recipe details

Serves 6

Ingredients

2½ rabbit, cut into 8 pieces

1 large shallot, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

3 tablespoons dill, finely chopped

2 tablespoons capers, drained

1 (11 oz.) small bottle of light beer (Stella Artois)

1-cup low-sodium chicken stock

Flour to drench the meat plus 1 tablespoon

3 thyme sprigs

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon English mustard

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Vegetable oil

Salt and Aleppo pepper (red pepper)

Serving options

buckwheat or barley

fresh tomato slices

English mustard

Directions

Soak rabbit legs in cold water with 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar. Drain and pet dry. Season legs generously with salt on all sides. Drench in flour and knock off the excess.

Heat oil in shallow wide-sided Dutch oven or large frying pan on medium heat. Brown rabbit meat parts on both sides in batches, transfer to a plate. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and a dash of oil to the same pan. Add shallot and cook for 2 minutes then add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Pour in beer and chicken stock, season with salt and pepper. Place 1 tablespoon flour into a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons of braising liquid from the pan and whisk vigorously until it resembles a heavy cream consistency, add more liquid if needed. Slowly whisk it into the pan.

Add mustard, whisk again. Return rabbit meat to the pan, add 3 thyme sprigs and bay leaf, cover with the lid and simmer gently for 35-40 minutes. Turn the meat at least once, make sure it doesn’t stick to the pan, otherwise flour will burn and sauce will have a slightly bitter taste, add more stock if needed. Continue cooking on gentle simmer. Lift rabbit out with slotted spoon and keep it warm. Add chopped parsley and capers to the sauce. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve rabbit with the sauce, buckwheat, few slices of fresh tomato and a smear of English mustard on a side. Sprinkled with fresh dill on top!

Darling, it was my childhood favorite as well, my dad used to breed them in the countryside, the meat is so delicate and so healthy. Sometimes i have difficult time to find it but most of the time Citarella has them, you can also call them in advance to make sure they are in stock. Happy cooking!